The papal state - that is, the territory over which the pope had worldly dominion - was created as a result of Frankish patronage. A forged document looms large in this story - the so-called "Donation of Constantine." According to this document, the fourth-century emperor Constantine had handed over all of his imperial garments, insignia, and symbols to Silvester, bishop of Rome (including his crown, which Silvester refused). Such a "donation" would have made the pope the true emperor, in theory; kings would be allowed to rule under him only by virtue of his favor. This forged document was brought before the Frankish king Pippin (714-768), and constituted the basis for the "restoration" of papal dominion in Rome and its environs.
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